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Comments
Various versions of new models are built for a variety of reasons, particularly in a model change year such as this one. They are run on regular roads and test tracks to test suspension, and handling. Changes are made and the cycle continues. Late in the current year they are shown to dealers. Security is very high during this time. Any of them driven on the open road are disguised, including changing nameplates to other models, painting white doors on a black car, changing wheel sizes, and anything else they can think of. For shows they are transported and convered.
These cars get a lot of abuse, changes, gutted, modified, etc. They cannot be sold to the public because of all the changes, work, scratches, dents, etc. Once new production changes are finalized and production starts, these cars are scrapped. (Believe me, you wouldn't want one.)
They are starting on Monday the 23rd because this was the time designated for the start. They know how long it will take to fill the pipline to the dealers. They know how many of each model and option to build, and how long it will take to do that. The entire process if very controlled and detailed. There is no inventory maintained at the plant. As soon as the vehicles are built they go into the pipe for distribution.
The 2002 Camry is nice looking vehicle, but the quality is still in the 2001. These are very good cars. If styling is high on your list, then wait for them and compare to the current year. There will be plenty of both to choose from.
:-)
I did that back in 1991. My wife didn't like the larger model 1992 and we purchased the 1991 model in September. We still have that car and still get offers from people to buy it. It has never had anything other than regular maintenance and has been an outstanding car. I own 3 Toyotas, every one I have ever bought: 89 Pickup, 91 Camry, and a 99 Sienna.
US vs Japan Camrys: My 92 and 94 model V6 Camry were US built and they were awesome vehicles. My 97 V6 was Japan built and was the worst of the three as far as fit/finish. Nevermind the parts were cheaper on the 97, that's the same for US or Japan. Now, there was no HUGE difference, just small somewhat meaningless things. Nothing was hardly falling off any of the cars. The 92 and 94 were extremely tight vehicles with no rattles or anything way into the 100K range. We kept the 92 to close to 200K and did no repairs. I think you'd find the worst built car today compared to the best built car is not as wide of a gap as some would want you to believe. There isn't a new vehicle sold in the US I'd be scared to drive across the country in.
Thanks for your reply about 2001 Camry LE price!
You seem to suggest that 2001 Camry LE should sell
at invoice, which sounds good to me!
Edmunds show that there is a customer cash of 700,
and dealer incentive of 800, but there is a small
print saying that the two can not be combined. Do this
mean that if a dealer sell at invoice, and
also apply the 700 cash, he makes only 100?
Or does he actually still get the 800 dollar incentive from
Toyota?
FYI, the first ones I have coming have a production date of 8/6 and those will be hard pressed to be at the dealership by the projected date of the 15th.
: )
Mackabee
Even Benz has had problems ever since they started building their M-Class in America. My friends parents have a 00 ML430 and it has been a LOT of trouble. broke down in teh middle of an intersection, theyve had enough with unreliable cars and now theyre heading off to get a Passat! go figure! lol
if im correct, BMW has had problems too ever since they began building cars down in Alabama (or South Carolina, i forget).
tt-cc.com
*Note, they are only preview pics, no full body pictures are yet available.
Also, sad news for 2002 Camry buyers(Canadian anyway) NO Manual for the V6 model, man I am mad!!!
Horsepower:
155 for 4 cylinder models, torque: TBD
200 for V6 models, 209 ft-lb torque
Chow!!!
There are nearly 1.7 inches more front seat travel, nearly an inch more room between the driver and passenger's seats and nearly 1.5 inches more room between the front and rear seats. The radio and heating/cooling unit has been moved up on the dash for better visibility and easier operation.
Any confirmations?
~alpha
Has that changed?
3.0L DOHC 192 horsepower 209 torque
ALPHA01 It appears the 2002 Solara is still available in a 5 speed but the southeast region is not buying any for the month of July.
Toyota was probably aiming for the ULEV or SULEV rating for all next generation Camrys sold hence the lower hp. That really frekin sucks. I hope the car (V6) didnt gain too much weight.
Man, that really sucks.
~alpha
Is 2002 gonna look like the picture that is at the website http://www.mag.com/scoop/camry0103/01.jpg
or a little different or what? Please explain. (sigh)
Thanks
You said in a post that your friend test drove the 2002 Camry at the George Town Plant, well did you two trade pics of the 2002 Camry or anything?
I'm very confused. wenyue said in post #1076 that
the 2002 Camry model is the Japanese model,and that the steering wheel is on the right which is a obvious feature for foreign countries. My question is, Is the 2002 Camry gonna be the same model
that are shipped to the United States because wenyue said that they are gonna be a little different? Camrys are made in Japan and Kentucky,now how can they make the 2002 Camrys for Japan ,and then make a the Camrys a little different for the U.S. ?Makes no sense to me. Am I making myself clear or am I confusing you? Please help...
Thanks...
sunshine60105
Courtney
http://www.tt-cc.com when that page opens up, click "Skip Intro". there ya go.
It was posted by a someone a couple days ago, it does not have full pictures of the camry just about 8-10 zoomed in shots of exterior parts.
Click on each pic. there's also a brief spec page. you can get to that by clicking "CLICK HERE"
~alpha
Ok, now I understand... Thanks for clearing up my confusion...
Courtney
Courtney
Thanks for the little help you gave me, it helped.. I love the 2002 Camry, I'm defintely gonna get a 2002 Camry...
Thanks again Joe!
Courtney
Do we have a problem in america with people getting lost?
That can be fixed by a nav system?
Toyota's popular sedan moves from `sensible' to `sensual'
Alex Law
WHEELSBEAT
NEW LOOK: The Camry has been redesigned for 2002, making it roomier, quieter and less box-like.
Toyota will launch a bigger and improved version of its Camry sedan this fall. The general goal is to give the car more personality while bolstering its reputation for brick-like reliability.
Details on the 2002 Camry, including official photographs, have not been released by Toyota Canada, so the actual final offerings may be somewhat different.
But, with enterprise, it is possible through various channels to put together an idea of what to expect.
Camry's fifth generation gets its first all-new chassis in 10 years. The intent is to create a larger, tighter, quieter car.
On that improved superstructure, Toyota has styled and packaged a Camry that moves from "sensible to sensual."
To that end, the North American arm of the Japanese firm is going after after a less bland look, a more aggressive ride, and equipment levels that deliver a "mass-market car with a niche-market feel."
CONSUMER TASTES
That last goal is to be reached by offering model grades that are "based more on consumer tastes than on buyer budgets." How that will work in this country has not yet been explained by the folks at Toyota Canada, so we'll have to wait and see.
What we know for certain is that the new Camry is significantly bigger than the model it replaces, which follows a pattern that's been going on for some time as Toyota learns to design cars for North Americans rather than adapt Japanese cars for them.
Camry's key dimensions are all going up for 2002. The wheelbase is now 2,720 mm, the overall length is 4,806 mm, the width is 1,796 and the height is 1,409 mm. Those are considerable expansions in automotive terms and will result in significant increases in interior roominess.
There was also a concerted effort to raise the new Camry's H-point, which is more or less the position where the occupant has primary contact with the seat. This makes it easier to access and provides a better road view.
To make this interior room more comfortable, Toyota apparently took great trouble to reduce Camry's noise, vibration and harshness levels. The key to this is always a more rigid chassis and body, and Toyota says this was accomplished.
They also crafted a body shape that is more aerodynamic, which helps raise fuel economy as well as lower side noise.
An appreciation for a car's exterior shape is always a personal thing, but it can be said that Toyota stylists made a pronounced effort to make Camry more attractive and have, to some extent, succeeded.
People who've seen it say it has a lot less of the appliance look that is a hallmark of the current model.
Camry's natural audience will never require that it be "a driver's car," but Toyota does want it to be a little more responsive in its next iteration. To that end, the suspension uses a MacPherson strut with a stabilizer bar up front, a dual-link strut with a stabilizer bar in the back, gas-filled shocks, and an anti-vibration sub-frame.
To power the new Camry, Toyota has created a new base four-cylinder and retained the optional V6.
The new engine is a 2.4 L twin-cam 16-valve inline-four that develops 157 hp at 5,600 rpm and 162 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm. It has an aluminum alloy block and head, and distributes the 87-octane fuel through a multi-point electronic fuel-injection system.
For the 2002 model, the 3.0-L V6 delivers 192 hp at 5,300 rpm and 209 lb-ft of torque at 4,400 rpm running high-octane gasoline through its multi-point electronically-controlled fuel injectors.
Both engines will come equipped with a five-speed manual transmission, but there'll also be a new four-speed automatic available.
SUPERIOR LAUNCH
Toyota says owners can expect these powertrains to give superior launch capabilities to the current model, which is the result of some more aggressive tuning and the lesser curbweights.
As for the curbweights, the four-cylinder models will run from 1,400 to 1,460 kg and the V6 lineup will run from 1,495 to 1,542 kg.
In the U.S., the Camry will be packaged as the LE, the XLE and the SE, with each set to deliver a higher level of content in a more focused fashion — the volume model, a luxury model and a sportier model.
It's worth pointing out that Toyota did not contribute any of this information, so there might be variations when their decisions are announced.
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Contact Alex Law at CarCanada@aol.com